Orange tulips flower in honour of the 75th anniversary of VE-Day

First at Five: Victory in Europe First at Five looks back on Victory In Europe Day - 75 years later, and highlights one man's touching tribute to those lost.

SAINT JOHN — Friday marks 75 years since the end of the Second World War in Europe.

Victory in Europe (VE-) Day would be traditionally commemorated with pomp and pageantry, but this year, due to the stay-at-home measures designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19, public gatherings like veterans parades have been cancelled.

Jim Landry had hoped to be on a pilgrimage to the battlefields of Europe during this 75th anniversary year.

“To be in a place where my dad was and be able to reflect on being in a different circumstance, was kind of a neat concept for me,” says Landry.

“I really wish I had of been able to fulfill it, but hey, I'll do it next year, or I'll do it the year after.”

Last fall, Landry began preparing for the anniversary by planting, what he calls, his battalion of tulips.

The plants are among the 1.1 million Liberation 75 tulips planted across the country in honour of the 1.1 million Canadians who served during the Second World War.

“A lot of them were a gift to Canada from the Netherlands, as they always are, and then some were purchased,” says Landry.

Landry planted thousands of the flowers around Saint John including at seniors’ homes and war memorials.

The orange tulips are well-advanced at Terry Moore's house.

“Probably a month ago, we just saw them starting to pop up and we thought, ‘They're kind of early.’ So every day when we drive in we look at the tulips and they are growing heartily,” says Moore.

Moore’s father, 93-year-old veteran Aubrey Moore, helped to plant the flowers.

“There's a lot of memories as soon as I look at those tulips every day. It's kind of neat,” says Moore.

Lou Cuppens was born in Holland and has the Dutch flag flying above his New Brunswick home. He is trying to prevent Canada's wartime contribution from being overlooked during the pandemic.

“Just a couple of days ago we celebrated the liberation of the Netherlands, mostly done by Canadians at great sacrifice. More than 7,000 Canadians participated in that,” says Cuppens.

“We're commemorating so much, and our country, Canada, has given so much.”